Aurangabad and the Ellora cave temples

My train from Mumbai arrived on time, but then proceeded to sit at the station for two hours. This meant that I arrived in Aurangabad very late, around 22.00 or after. I tried to find a hotel, but was not having much luck. The first two were full, the next was closed. It was getting very, very late the streets were very very poorly lit and I was starting to feel a bit anxious. I took an expensive hotel rather than keep looking.

The next day, feeling tired and run down from illness and lack of sleep I made use of the room by sleeping, watching tv, and generally being lazy. I went out to explore the town. It was hot, dusty, smelly, unfriendly, and other horrible things. I changed room that evening to another dorm in the local youth hostel. Though cleaner and nicer than in Mumbai, the place was simple and basic. I made plans to visit the Ellora cave temples. They would have to be good in order to justify coming to such a miserable place.....

....they were!! There are 34 temples in total and span an area of about 5km. With a couple of notable exceptions, the temples are cut into a line of rock running north to south. I began at temple number one, at the most southern point, the first of the Buddhist temples, which range from small plain rectangular caves, to grand expansive halls and monasteries decorated with huge carvings of buddha and bodhavista. One cave stood out: a grand temple with a stunning arched ceiling carved to look as though it were ribbed. There was a banner of delicate carvings at the foot of the ceiling and an enormous shrine as the centrepiece. When I got there it had just received a small group of worshippers who were sitting beneath the shrine and chanting. The sound was incredible and invoked in me a deep sense of wonder and awe.

The next group of temples are Hindu. There are large, 2 and 3 storey temples again with impressive large carvings in the walls and pillars. Again one temple stood out, the Kailasanatha is truly a wonder of the world. It appears to be free standing and certainly cannot be called a cave. What is not apparent at first glance is that actually the whole structure, twice the size of the Parthenon, has been carved from one piece of rock!

The last group of temples are Jain. They are less grand in scale, but contain much finer detail; the halls are exquistely carved. All the temples must have taken such phenomenal man power and skill to create. Generations of stone masons and sculptors must have been employed. I goes without saying that I was completely blown away.

I returned to Aurangabad content. The previous day I had done a bit of research into onward transport and found it more difficult than I had hoped. I could not get a direct bus to Hampi for love nor money. If I hadnt spoken to a fellow traveler who just came in the other direction I would have been stumped, but I had and I knew that I could travel to Bijapur and then change buses. I booked an expensive overnight government bus. The lady said seat number 5. I found the correct platform and waited.....